Container and pouring spout



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m L u c m V R R CONTAINER AND POURING sPoUT Filed March 19, 1956 Stats CONTAINER AND remanso sroUr Raymond P. Von Culin, Far Hills, N. J., assignoi` to Seal- Spout Corporation, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 19, 1956, Serial No. 572,535

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-531) or to open the same, so that the contentskofthe container may be poured therefrom through said aperture and along said spout, including a tear tab extending from the other edge of the aperture to the adjacent corner of the container at which it is hinged and turnable to form an enlargement of the aperture to the corner, for preventing bridging or clogging of contained material during pouring.

lt has been found that some materials, an example being oatmeal, tend to bridge or clog openings in containers thereof when it is attempted to pour them therethrough. I therefore propose the use of a tear tab or strip in combination with a discharge opening closable by a pouring spout, which tear strip serves to extend said discharge opening to the top or adjacent corner of the container, thereby obviating a bridging or clogging -of the material as it llows out of the aperture.

Another feature in my idea is that when the tear strip is folded down and the spout is closed, the protective features of the spout are still preserved. The size and shape of the tear strip are dependent on the size and shape of the spout, said strip, however, being desirably somewhat narrower than the spout width. The scoring on either side of the tear strip, to facilitate opening the same, could be made either by the carton manufacturer or by a spout-inserting machine, and the carton wall material could be cut all the way through or just partly through. It is believed more desirable to have the carton manufacturer score the tear strip.

An object of my invention is to provide a container or carton and spout embodying improved features of construction and a novel relationship, whereby the discharge aperture in the container may be not only more efliciently sealed than previously but enlarged if desired to avoid bridging of enclosed material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container having a discharge aperture formed by cutting a tab from a side wall near an adjacent normally upper corner thereof and hingedly connected at its lower edge to said wall for supporting a spout, which spout is normally free to swing outwardly for discharge of contained material or inwardly to close the aperture, and having associated with said tab one of preferably less width which is tearable from the upper edgeof said aperture to the adjacent top edge of the container to facilitate discharge and avoid clogging with contained material.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a container an improved and novel relationship of a hinged tab and spout, whereby they act conjointly to effectively seal a discharge aperture in said container and are securely held in sealing position against accidental displacement, as during packing and shipping, in combinaatent O 2,832,5l5 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 ICC tion with a cooperating tab tearable from an edge of said aperture, remote to that to which the first-mentioned tab is hinged, to an adjacent corner of the container, to facilitate discharge of enclosed material.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a container, spout and tear tab of the character described which are simple in construction, strong and durable and economical to manufacture, and to obtain other advantages and results as will appear from the following description and claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like parts are designated throughout the several views by corresponding reference characters:

Figure l is a fragmentary upper end elevational view of a normally upper corner portion of a container, associated spout, and tear tab embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2--2 of Figure l, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a View corresponding to Figure l, but showing the spout in Vertical section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure l, but showing the spout and the tear tab thereabove in open positions.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View on the line 5-5 of Figure Il, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5, but showing the container tilted and in the act of discharging its contents.

Figure '7 is a perspective View of the portion of the container illustrated in Figures l, 3 and 4, but prior to application of the spout.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the reference character lll designates a container comprising a body portion l2, closed at its normally upper end by overlapping ilaps .lli and i4, which may be glued together in accordance with conventional practice. The container ill may be formed of any suitable material such as cardboard, berboard or the like. The container illustrated is desirably one which is taller than it is wide, and the horizontal dimension of the narrow end walls, the upper end of the face of one of which is illustrated in Figures l, 3 and l, is less than any other exterior dimension. This relatively narrow wall, here designated 15, is provided with a substantially rectangular discharge aperture i6 and a correspondingly shaped tab 17 is integrally connected to said wall at one end, in this case the normally lower end, to the portion of the wall defining said aperture for hinging movement into and out of the latter and for a purpose presently clear.

Cooperating with the container il is a pouring spout provide a ilat body portion i9, sector-shaped side walls 21 at the side edges of, and extending at approximately right angles to, said body portion, and having arcuate outer edges 22 generally concentric with the axis of movement of the tab 17. Said spout is designed to be of the same Width as the aperture lo so that the outer surfaces of its side walls frictionally engage the side edges of the wall 15 which denne the aperture le. The body portion i9 is longer than the tab i7 to provide an extension 23 projecting beyond the free end of said tab for a purpose to be explained.

Four prongs 24 are shown on the body portion 19 for securing the spout 18 to the tab 17, as by passing through the latter and being 'bent over the inner tace thereof, as

w39 vided if desired. At least two of the prongs 24 are disposed adjacent the hinged edge of the tab 17 and two prongs overlie the free edge thereof, or that remote from the hinged edge of said tab, to securely hold the spout with respect thereto. The reason for at least twoprongs adjacent the hinge and two adjacent the swinging edge of the tab 17 is because of the relatively great width of the spout, that is, it is desirably more than half the entire width of the end wall 1S of the container, so as to provide for the free discharge of granular material, particularly `of a character such as oatmeal. The tab 17 and its spout 18 are disposed near what is normally the top portion the container but, to avoid manufacturing difficulties, it is spaced as illustrated slightly below said top.

In applying the spout 1S, the side walls 21 thereof are either slipped through slots or at scored or weakened lines 30, as viewed in Figure 7, between the sides of the aperture and the edges of the tab, and the spout is then placed over the tab with the body portion i9 overlying the outer face thereof and the side walls 21 engaging the `side edges of the wall 15 defining the aperture id. Although I have referred to slots as if they were formed prior `to application of the spout, yet it will be understood that the spout may be applied by machine to the wail of the container while imperforate, whereby it simultaneously cuts its own slots which receive the sides or wings 2i of the spout. The body portion 19 is then secured to the tab 17 by forcing the prongs 24 through the tab and clinching them, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, to positively connect the tab and bo-dy portion together' and prevent relative movement or displacement thereof. When `the tab 17 and spout 18 are swung inwardly, until said body portion 19 lies flat against the wall 15, the aperture 16 is closed. The side walls 21 seal the engaged side edges of the wall 15 by friction when the spout is closed and the extension 23 engages said wall and abuttingly overlies the portion of the tear tab 25 adjacent the aperture, to seal the corresponding end of the aperture to limit further movement of said spout in a closing direction and to hold the tear tab against unintended swinging out of the container.

A special feature of my invention is a tear tab or Jtongue 25, at the normally upper edge of the aperture 16. Aformed by scoring or weakening along lines 26 and Z7 from the normal top of the container to the upper edge of the aperture 16, the lower or free end of which tab is adapted `to be frictionally engaged by the free or upper end of the 'tab 17 in closing position of the spout i8,

to hold the latter in ysaid position and also form an adr ditional seal at the upper end of the aperture. As shown in Figures 4, and 6, this tab may be moved to open position by pulling outwardly, as by a finger 123, to provide for substantially enlarging the aperture 16 by the addition of a supplemental aperture 2%.

To more effectively seal the aperture the tab 17 is imperforate, except for the reception of the prongs Zd, and ts flush along the inner face of the 'body portion 119 fof the spout 1S, and also along the inner faces of the side walls Z1 of said spout, to thereby form a seal between the tab and spout and retard the entry of air and moisture into the container between said tab and spout.

When it is desired to pour the contents of the container through the spout 18, the latter is moved to open position, as by grasping the extension 23 by a nager Si, and swinging the tab 17 and connected spout outwardly to the position of Figures 4, 5 and 6. Thereafter the aperture may "be enlarged by swinging the tab 25 to open position, illustrated in these same figures, as by the finger 28, to form the aperture enlargement To limit outward movement of the spout lift, lugs 35?. are provided on the side members 21 for engagement with the inner face of the wall 15 on either side of the opening 29. If desired, a protecting piece of paper may be pasted on the wall 1S to cover the spout 1S and the tear tab 25 in their closed positions, although this is not essential to my invention.

With the described construction and relation of container and spout, the aperture consisting of the parts 16 and 29 is completely sealed around its edges as will be clear. This is particularly advantageous in a container for use with goods which deteriorate when exposed to atmospheric air for any time. As will be manifest, the tongue or tear tab 25' acts as an auxiliary closure t0 allow for a substantial increase in the aperture coverable by the spout 1S and, if the container is used for materials which do not tend to bridge or clog in the aperture, it need not be torn up to the top of the container, but may be left in the initial position illustrated in Figures l, 2, 3 and 7. The conainer prior to application the pouring spo-ut may be as viewed in Figure 7, that is, the end wall 15 may comprise only the Weakened or scored lines 26 and Z7 terminating at a line 33 corresponding with the upper or swingable edge of the i7. The line may be scored or weakened, if desired, although by virtue of the fact that a weakened zone is formed during the process of applying the spout 18 by the insertion lof the prongs 24, further weakening may not be necessary,

While i 'have shown and described my invention as embodied in certain specific details of construction and relations of parts it is to be understood that the present disclosure is primarily illustrative of the principles of the invention and that modifications in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. rthe combination with a generally rectangular container formed of cardboard, of a pouring spout movable between closed and open positions, said container having a substantially rectangular aperture in one wall adjacent a corner thereof, said pouring spout comprising a body portion hinged at one end to said container wall at the end of said aperture remote from said corner to Open and close said aperture and sector-shaped side walls on said body portion having their outer surfaces frictionally engaging the side edges of said aperture to seal said edges in the closed position of the spout, there being means to yieldingly hold the spout in closed position, and a tear tab integral with said wall and extending from the other end of said aperture to said corner, initially connected at its sides to said wall along weakened lines and severable along said lines by the user for swinging outwardly of the container and away from said aperture about a hinged connection at said corner to form an enlargement to said aperture for preventing bridging of the material in the container during pouring thereof through said aperture and said spout, said tear tab being of less width than said aperture and said body portion of the spout having an extension at its free end for abutting overlying engagement with said wall of the container and with the portion of said tear tab adjacent said edge of said aperture to limit closing movement of the spout, to seal the corresponding end of the aperture and to prevent unintended swinging of said tear tab lout of the container.

Z. The combination with a generally rectangular container formed of cardboard, of a pouring spout movable between closed and open positions, said container having a substantially rectangular aperture in one wall adjacent a corner `thereof and a tab integrally connected to said wall at its end remote from said corner for hinged movement with respect to said container, said pouring spout comprising a body portion overlying the outer surface` of said tab and connected to the tab for movement therewith to open and close said aperture and sector-shaped side walls on said body portion having their outer surfaces frictionally engaging the side edges of said aperture to seal said edges in the closed position of the spout, there being means to yieldingly hold the spout in closed position, and a tear tab integral with said Wall and extending from the other end of said aperture to said corner, initially connected at its sides to said wall along weakp ened lines and severable along said lines by the user for swinging outwardly of the container and away from said aperture about a hinged connection at said corner to form an enlargement to said aperture for preventing bridging of the material in the container during pouring thereof through said aperture and said spout, said tear tab being of less width than said aperture and said body portion of the spout having an extension at its free end for abutting overlying engagement with said wall of the container and with the portion of said tear tab adjacent said edge of said aperture to limit closing movement of the spout, to seal the corresponding end of the aperture and to prevent unintended swinging of said tear tab out of the 15 2,011,434

container.

3. The combination as dened in claim 2 wherein the first-mentioned tab and said tear tab are initially integrally connected along a weakened zone between their adjacent ends, and the rsbrnentioned ta-b will be torn along said weakened zone independently of and separate from said tear ta-b when the spout is first swung into open position, and said tear tab may at the will of the user be severed along the said weakened lines at its sides and swung outwardly of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Venning et a1. May 9, 1933 Brucker Aug. 13, 1935 Greeley Mar. 4, 1-941 

